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Terri Ann Leidich

Family Inheritance

Synopsis

"Called to the bedside of their dying mother, three sisters reluctantly return to their childhood home in northern Minnesota. What should be a reunion of love and warmth is tainted by the ghosts of their childhood; their parents' farm is a place of painful memories. With their mother in a coma, Helene leaves behind a shell of a marriage in Atlanta---her country club lifestyle not at all what it seems. Alice has finally fled an abusive husband but is afraid her failing courage will put her children in danger. Waking up beside yet another stranger, Suzanne can no longer deny how an alcohol addiction may destroy everything she's worked for---an addiction that barely masks the terrible wounds on her soul. They may have escaped the farm, but Helene, Alice, and Suzanne find they are still perpetuating a cycle of pain, abuse, alcoholism, anger, fear, and bitterness. Seeing themselves through each other's eyes, the sisters are forced to confront their demons. Will they be able to tread through the wreckage of the past to create lives filled with hope, love, and triumph?
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Author Biography

Terri Ann Leidich began writing at the age of 16 at the encouragement of her high school English teacher. She has been writing ever since. She currently has two nonfiction books in the marketplace ("From a Grieving Mother's Heart" and "For a Grieving Heart") and her debut novel ("Family Inheritance") will release in October of this year.

Author Insight

Dealing with Infidelity

Helene's husband was unfaithful and she had known about it for many years, but said nothing. It's easy to feel disgust at her for that decision and to sit on the outside and say "If he cheated, I'd leave him in an instant," or "If he cheated, I'd. . ." As I was developing Helene's character, I talked to a lot of woman about infidelity and what they would do. The ones who had never experienced it were pretty certain about what their actions would be, yet those who admitted to experiencing it, talked about the many layers of feelings and choices that exist when someone you love and who has or does love you has cheated. Life, as most of us realize, is never as simple in the middle of pain as it is when we're looking from the outside.

Book Excerpt

Family Inheritance

Caught up with the reflection of his handsome face, almost-black hair, and blue eyes, she refused to deal with the reality of her life because it was much easier to keep pretending that things were different. Helene’s voice stuck in her throat. There were so many questions she wanted to ask. Why do you cheat and lie? Who is she this time? Why do I put up with it? Even with those questions blasting in her mind, she took a deep breath and spoke in even tones that belied the tension building at her temples. “Will you be home for dinner?”

Bill didn’t glance in her direction as the lies flowed smoothly through his lips. “No, I’ve got to work late on a case that’s going to court next week. I’ll probably work most of the night.”

Helene furiously grabbed the tassel on the corner of the pillow. How didyou get so good at lying? As she listened to his words, she remembered the smell of the familiar perfume that had assaulted her nose, and the ever-so-light smudge of red lipstick on the collar of his shirt that she had taken to the cleaners yesterday. Her heart pinched in agony as the man at the cleaners smiled and winked at her, teasing her that she might want to change the color of her lipstick—red, he had said, was hard to remove.

Bill moved away from the mirror and continued talking about his heavy workload. Helene’s demeanor didn’t change as she quietly maimed the pillow with her pulls and tugs. Shut up, Bill, shut up, she wanted to scream. Don’t you know I’ve known about all of them throughout the years? I’ve given them names. Can you beat that? I name your mistresses! The turmoil inside of her was at a full boil today, but she held it in tightly, not letting it erupt or even seep through her calm exterior. A divorce would be much more traumatic and expensive than replacing decorative pillows.

She gazed at Bill through the mirror and said, “I’ll leave you something to eat in the fridge.” He walked out of the bathroom, straightening his shirt. Her hands clenched firmly around the small pillow in front of her as she pasted a smile on her face. She raised her lips to accept his quick kiss.